Switch for electric irons



Oct. 9, 1923, 1,470,523

H. BENVIE SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC IRONS Filed larch 25. 1922 3 /a' i7- 24 2 Z M i, 7?

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WITNESSES l5 UVVENTOR 4 fer 12775010? v ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 9, 1923.

UNITED STATES HERBERT BENVIE, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC IRONS.

Application filed March 25, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT BENVIE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Switch for Electric .Irons, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to an electric iron and has particular reference to a switch therefor.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a simple, eflicient, durable electric-iron switch which will operate to open the electric circuit of the line whenever the operator has to leave the iron.

A further object resides in the provision of means whereby under certain conditions,

if the switch cannot be worked, a fusible element will blow to cause the operation of the switch.

A still further object resides in the particular construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a side View of the iron showing the handle in section Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the handle of the iron.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-43 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

The form of the invention shown in the drawings is a preferred form, although it is understood that modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts and in the character of the materials used may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention.

As shown in the drawings, the invention is applied to an iron having a body portion 1, a handle-supporting frame 2 and a handle 3. On its lower surface this handle is provided with a pivoted section 4. attached at one end to the handle 3 by a screw 5, which makes a. somewhat loose connection with the section 1. Near the other end of the pivoted. section is a spring 6 disposed within a here recess 7 formed on the upper face oi? the pivoted section, which spring to fo -5c l end of the pivoted section his end of the section is at- Serial No. 546,660.

tached to the handle by a screw 8, the head of which lies in a recess 9 of ample size to permit of the movement ofthe section with respect to the screw 8. In the upper face of the section 4 Iprovide a plug of insula-.

tion material 10 in which a knife or bridge 11 is embedded. This knife 11 is flush with the upper surface of the section.

On the lower face of the handle is a recess in which a plug 12 of insulation material is located, this being held in by a screw 13. This plug 12 is provided with two screws 14 and 15 the heads of which are flush with the lower face of the plug and adapted to en gage with the bridge or knife ll when the pivoted section 4 is held up against the lowor face of the handle 3. These screws 14 and 15 are connected by wires 16 and 17 with cables 18 and 19 which are connected in series with the ordinary circuit cords 20 and 21.

Beneath the pivoted switch section 4 is normally intended to be disposed a plug or plate 22 mounted on the upper end of a sliding plate 23 which is held up in its upward position by a spring 24, the lower end of which bears against a movable-plate 25. The plate 25 and the plate 23 are adapted to move vertically in guiding flanges 26 and 27 connected to a plate 28 pivotallv mounted on a base plate 29 associated with the body portion of the iron. Between the plate 25 and the plate 28 a fusible plug 30 may be disposed to space these plates apart.

1n the normal operation of the iron, and assuming that the plug 22 is not in engagement with the pivoted switch section a but is lying flat along the top of the iron, whenever the hand of the operator releases the handle the pivoted section 4: will drop down to open the circuit between the knife or bridge 11 and the screws 14 and 15. This will prevent overheating of the iron. If the operator wishes to keep the section 4. permanently against the handle, she moves the )lug 22 to the position shown in Fig. 1.

he action of the spring as will then press the plug" 22 against the pivoted section 4. It the iron gets too hot, however, the fusible plug 30 will melt and permit the plate 25 to move downwardly, This will release the compression of spring 2% which in turn will permit th nd the plug to drop si'ijtiieient v the pivoted section 4.- to hrcala circuit in the i'.:;anner shove described. The circuit will thus not only be broken but the shape of the plug 22 will result in the plug 2:2 falling around a pivot point and thus automatically becoming disengaged from the switch section 4.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a simple, efficient and durable switch for electric irons, which switch can be held in its closed position during the operation of the iron by a. person using the same but which will automatically open when the iron handle is released. It will be also observed that means are provided for permanently closing this handle switch excepting when the temperature of the iron exceeds apredetermined amount, at which time a thermostatic means will operate to open the switch.

hat I claim is:

1. An electric iron construction which includes a sectional handle portion. one of said sections movably associated with another section, switch members mounted on said sections and adapted to'be engaged when the sections are held together by the hand of the operator, and means for supporting the one section against the other without'the aid of the operators hand.

2. An electric iron construction which includes asectional handle portion, one of said sections movably associated with another section, switch members mounted on said sections and adapted to be engaged when the sections are held together by the hand of the operator, and means for supporting the one section against'the other without the aid of the operators hand, and thermal responsive means for releasing the supporting means when the temperature of the iron exceeds a given degree.

3. An electric iron construction which includes a sectional handle, one of said sections movably mounted with respect to the other, switch members carried by saidsections and adapted to engage when the sections are held together, loosely mounted means for supporting and holding one of said sec-tions against the other whereby the switch is engaged, said supporting means capable of being moved to permit the disengagement of the sections at the will of the operator.

l. An electric iron. construction which includes a handle portion having a recess in its lower face, a section movably associated with the handle portion in said recess, circuit-controlling members mounted on the handle and on said section and adapted to engage when the section is held against the handle, means engaging the movable section to support it, a spring engaging said supporting means to hold it resiliently against the section, a movable plate with which the other end of the spring engages, and a fusible plug supporting said loosely mounted plate, the fusing of the plug under temperature permitting the sectionsupporting means to release the section, whereby the circuit-controlling member or switch elements are disenga d.

fiERBERT BENVIE. 

